FIBS and Third Rock’s first programme for future-proof business was launched in September 2025. This pioneering programme is joined by seven companies across different sectors. It provides companies with information, tools and peer support for the long-term development of sustainable business practices.
At the time of writing, the Future-Proof Business programme is already more than halfway through. The first two workshops were held in autumn 2025, and the remaining three will take place during spring 2026.
“In the first workshop, Third Rock provided participants with an overview of the state of the planet and planetary boundaries. We also went through the expectations of the selected companies. You could say that we looked together at the state of the world and whether we agree on what that state is,” explains Mea Lakso, sustainability expert at FIBS.
“Before the second workshop, all the companies carried out an ESG snapshot analysis developed by Third Rock, which assesses the level of a company’s sustainability work. The snapshot helps to illustrate how far a company is from a transformative level – or how close it is to it.”
Thought-provoking ideas that shake things up
Mea explains that, at the start of the process, this exercise in critical thinking was at times a rather jarring experience. Most companies assumed they were further along in their sustainability work than the ESG assessment indicated. Taking planetary boundaries into account in business still seems a long way from the reality of the business world.
Sari Kuvaja, Head of Development at Third Rock, notes that this is precisely one of the challenges in developing future-proof business practices, which the workshops aim to tackle collectively.
“We humans have become accustomed to extracting resources from nature without limit and without considering the consequences. Our knowledge has increased significantly, but we have often yet to consider what business would look like within the limits of the planet’s carrying capacity in each company’s own sector. This is something we are learning together,” says Sari.
What will future-proof business look like in 2050?
In December, the participating companies had the opportunity to take part in a mid-term review, during which they discussed what the work had been like, what they had gained from it, and what their expectations were for the spring workshops.
“The ESG maturity assessment was found to be eye-opening and useful. We also discussed the participants’ different needs: those involved in sustainability work within their companies would have preferred to get straight into the work without a ‘warm-up’, whilst those in other roles found the in-depth introduction useful,” explains Sari Kuvaja.
In the third workshop, participants developed their vision for a sustainable business in 2050: what needs to change, what are the first steps towards that change, who will be involved in bringing about the change, who or what factors might slow it down, and why the change is essential.
“Here, we guided the participants to think of their companies as sustainable as their imagination would allow. On that basis, we set about drawing up roadmaps: what needs to happen over the next 25 years for the vision to become a reality,” says Kuvaja.
You don’t need to know or understand everything
Kuvaja and Lakso agree that imagination is a useful tool in planning a future-proof business. You don’t need to know or understand everything, and things that seem impossible have often become possible throughout world history simply because someone first had the insight to consider them.
Lakso, however, identifies one obstacle that limits all of our imaginations.
“We’re a bit stuck in the mindset that this is how things are and how they’re meant to be, and because of that it can be difficult to imagine what might be possible. To put it clichédly, we need to think ‘outside the box’ – and have a discussion about how companies could create not only economic value but also value that enhances the vitality and well-being of our planet,” says Lakso.
“We are not criticising companies, but rather the economic system and the management model”
Once the visions for future-proof business had been set out in writing, roadmaps began to be drawn up based on them. Some of the participants have already had the opportunity to present their vision and roadmap to their colleagues or the company’s management team.
“A large part of the workshops has been devoted to group work and facilitating it, but each time we’ve also had a short thematic introduction followed by a discussion based on it. Perhaps one could say that, in addition to the materials, we have offered participants a facilitated opportunity and time for reflection and open discussion. At the same time, our programme has given participants a unique opportunity to learn from their colleagues in other companies; after all, when it comes to change, we’re all colleagues,” says Sari Kuvaja.
“A positive atmosphere has emerged from this mutual, self-nurturing dialogue. There are clever people involved who know a great deal and are ready to embrace new ideas and challenge themselves. One member of the group remarked at the third meeting that they realised they’d had to start a conversation about values with themselves after receiving so much new information and hearing such a variety of perspectives. It’s also great that company representatives understand that we’re on their side: we’re not criticising individual companies, but rather the economic system and the management model that have been promoted for decades.”
How can we nurture our imagination?
Kuvaja and Lakso have already been considering, each in their own way, how the lessons learnt from the first ‘Future-Proof Business’ programme can be put to use going forward, and how this foundation can be used to genuinely drive change. How do we move from a desire to do the right thing to actually doing the right thing? How do we nurture the imagination so that even the wildest ideas emerge as goals and means of achieving a better future?
The Future-Proof Business programme as a whole is also being developed on the basis of feedback from participants.
“At the very least, I hope that we have acted as a catalyst and provided a spark for the companies involved. I also believe and hope that our workshops will give companies a compass to help them find their bearings, for example, at various turning points or even during a strategy process,” says Lakso.
Sari Kuvaja and Mea Lakso were interviewed by Anu Räsänen, content producer at Third Rock.